A successful workers’ compensation case in Georgia does not require you to prove fault for your injury. Instead, it is enough to show that you were performing work-related tasks and suffered an injury or illness as a result. What many workers do not realize, however, is that certain things can still hurt a workers’ comp claim – including common social media mistakes.
Yes, in most cases, the courts in Georgia will allow social media content and activity to be submitted as evidence in a workers’ compensation case. Since social media is part of the public domain, anything posted on a social media site – such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or YouTube – could be used against you in a court of law. Similarly, a workers’ comp insurance company has the legal authority to use social media activities as evidence against a claimant during the investigation of a claim. This is why it is critical to be careful what you post during an open workers’ compensation case in Atlanta.
Social media apps and websites have become such a prominent part of life that it can be difficult to remember that they offer windows into a claimant’s life – and potential sources of evidence during a workers’ compensation claim. An insurance company can use your social media presence to investigate your workers’ comp claim and evaluate your losses. Social media activity could hurt your workers’ compensation case in many ways, including:
Insurers will do what they can to save money on client payouts – even taking social media activity out of context and using it against a claimant. Switching your accounts to private is not enough to protect you from social media blunders. Insurance companies can request access to a plaintiff’s private accounts and messages from a judge, in certain circumstances. The best practice is to stay off of social media entirely until your workers’ compensation case ends.
While you do not have to prove fault to obtain workers’ compensation in Georgia, you must still check all of the boxes for benefit eligibility. Do your best to protect your right to recover with these social media tips:
When in doubt, don’t post anything at all to social media during an open claim. Then, contact a workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. A lawyer can give you sound advice about what to do and what not to do to strengthen your workers’ compensation case.